Peters



UNTTED sTaTns PATENT orrcn JAMES S. FRENCH, OF OLD POINT COMFORT, VIRGINIA.

METHOD 0F ASCENDING INCLIN ED PLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,052, dated June 22, 1852.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES S. FRENCH, of Old Point Comfort, in Elizabeth City county and State of Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in Railroads, and Locomotive Engines, by which much higher' grades may be readily worked than are now used and the roads be made to conform more readily to the natural surface of the earth than they at present do, and this with increased security in traveling; and I do declare the following is a true and accurate description of my invention.

The road on my plan rests on cross ties, as do other roads; the ends are cut ott' square, and flush with the string pieces; which support the iron rail, which is wider than that generally used. This iron rail projects outwardly from two to two and a half inches, and these alterations constitute the difference between the common railway, and one on my plan, as will appear from the following detailed description, and accompanying diagrams.

My road is elevated, but simply because the sills, or cross ties rest on the surface of the earth, and are not embedded in it. The elevation of the road therefore depends entirely on the size of the timbers used. I have in the experimental roads I have built, used sills of from 10 to 12 inches diameter, iattening one side to give it a good bearing, and make it lie level. The distance these sills are apart will be regulated by the required strength of the road, so alsorthe size of the string pieces. On these cross ties let string pieces say 6X8 inches be placed, and notched in and bolted down flush with the ends of the sills. Then place a flat iron bar, or rail say 6 inches wide by inches thick on the string pieces, inches of its width resting on the string piece, firmly secured, and 2% inches projecting outwardly, and there is at once an elevated 'road on my plan ready for use. It is elevated by the depth of the sill on cross tie say after being flattened 9 inches by the depth of the string piece 8 inches by the thickness of the iron rail or bar inches and you have a road elevated above the surface of the earth l' inches. The ends of the sills being square, and flush with the string pieces you have a clear space under the projecting iron rail of 17 inches, up against which wheels of lesser diameter may be made to revolve. I/Vhere a flat bar of or thickness is used,

8, is the flat iron bar.

it will be necessary to trim olf the inner edge of the string pieces to prevent the anges of the wheels from rubbing, or to interpose between the bar and string piece a narrow wooden strip two or three inches thick for the same purpose. This will also give a little additional elevation to the road. The iron bar should be rounded on the inner edge to accommodate itself to the ianges of the wheels, and also on the outer edge, the wheels revolving up against it.

having also flanges. The fiat bar is secured by bolts, driven near the inner edge, and the ends rest on iron plates to prevent their sinking, or becoming uneven, all firmly secured. By a modication of the U rail a road may be built on my plan dispensing with the string pieces, as will be seen in No. 3, and as I have proved by actual experiment.

By reference to the drawings herewith filed, the above description will be made more clear.

No. l, section A, B, is the common railway with a U rail. No. 2, is a road on my plan with a flat bar G inches wide thick, a strip of timber 3 inches wide is placed under the bar to raise it up and make room for the flanges of the wheels.

In the end view presented in No. 2, 5 is the cross tie. 6 is the string piece. 7, the strip of wood on which the fiat bar rests to make room for the flanges of the wheels. The same is seen in Fig. 4, and'No. 3, shows a road on my plan with a heavy rail, the U rail modified. The U rail now used by me is shaped thus [T- The adhesion by which a locomotive engine is enabled to draw a train, depends on -the weight of the engine, or rather on that part of the weight resting on the driving wheels, the heavier therefore the engine, it being properly proportioned, the greater the load it will draw. This has given rise to very large and heavy engines, which are destructive to the roads, and to counteract as far as practicable this great weight of machinery; the engine has been complicated by coupling the wheels, making as many drivers as practicable, and thus distributing over the road this enormous weight. Yet neither the weight of the engine, nor the connecting the wheels, though all may be made drivers, can at all times be reliedon as furnishing a certain quantity of adhesion. Under the most favorable lli) circumstances the adhesion is never more than th the insistent weight, and it iuctuates between this, and nothing, dependent on the state of the weather. It frequently being I may say nothing, when the rails are covered with frost, or ice, as is seen when the engine is unable to move itself. The tractive power of the engine depends o-n its adhesion, as much as on its steam capacity.

.The first depends on the weather and is uncertain; the latter can always be relied on, where fuel and water are to be had.

The object of my invention is by mechanical-means to supply this defect and work steep inclined planes with the locomotive engine by enabling the engineer` of a locomotive engine at his pleasure to produce as much adhesion as the engine can overcome. In other words to enable the engine at all times, and in all kinds of weather, to work up to its steam capacity.

An inspection of a sketch of my road will show a clear space under the projecting iron on each side, for the passage of friction wheels and adhesion is produced by suspending just under the driving wheels a pair of friction wheels say 12 inches diameter. The driving wheels cover the entire width of rail. The tread of the friction' wheels scarce equals the projection. From the driving axle as a fulcrum, these wheels are suspended, and by means of a compound lever, under the control of the engineer, they are brought up against the rail, pressing the driving wheels down, to the extent of the force applied. A reference to the diagram will make this plain.

Figure l, presents a side view of a common locomotive engine, with my attachment for producing adhesion. Here the Vcranks are fixed on the outer ends of the driving axle, and between these and the wheels, resting on the axle as a fulcrum are suspended the friction rollers. See E, and F, in Figs. 2, e.

f supports the arm I, terminating in a journal at the oil cup h.

g is the friction roller, the wheel and axle of which are made solid, and readily revolve in the journal under the oil cup h, kept in their place by a washer and split key.

b is a rod of one inch diameter passing through the end of piece e, on which Vthere is aspiral spring kept in place by two nuts, and o-ne end is also fastened on a pin inserted in lever a.

c at lower end of lever a is-a shaft passing through to the other side of the engine, just under the platforms. The frictionv gear is the same on both sides of the engine, and the lever a by means of the shaft c works both at the same time.

As represented in Fig. l, the friction wheel g now hangs by its gravity, say one inch below the rail, and the engine being in motion, it would pass along freely without touching anything. If additional adhesion be required for the engine, then the lever a is brought down and placed in one of the notches in piece g, and as the lever is brought down, it raises up the friction rollers g, g, and makes the driving wheels press down upon the rails to any required extent.

The spring Z accommodates any unevenness in the thickness of the rails, or where the ends join. The notches may be numbered, showing the amount of pressure produced by placing the lever in either one, and are so shaped that the lever remains where it is placed, until thrown out by the engineer, when immediately the weight of the friction wheels causes them to drop to their position about one inch below the rails, and just under the driving wheels.

A more detailed view of the arrangement will be seen in the section on A, B.

V, W, is an iron frame bolted to the frame of the engine, or rather N, W, constitutes the frame firmly secured. See side view in Fig. 5. V is a square iron bar, passing through the frame at each end, and turning easily in the journals at y. O, O, are arms attached to this bar, which support the bent arms z' z' with the friction wheels g g.

No. 10 is a brass or iron tube into which the bentarms c' z' slip easily, nearly meeting in the center, and holding them steady in their places. These arms also are supported by 0, o, and pass through a ring in the end of 0, (see Fig. 5) before pasisng into the tube No. 10. The arms 0, o, are secured to the bent arms z' z' at the points x, w, and are also secured to the square bar V, which moves on its journals. has an opening at each side, up and down in which the arms 0, 0, are made to move describing about of a circle. (See Fig. 5.) The arms o, 0, being fixed to the bent arms z', v1, at the points w, when they are raised up the form of the slots or openings are so shaped, that they draw the bent arms z', z', out of the tube No. l0, until the friction wheels g, g, are thrown out beyond the rails, when they are immediately raised above them about 6 or 8 inches. See formV of opening in Fig. 6. These wheels may by a compound lever be readily lifted out of the way, by the engineer, but experiment shows it is more simply and quickly done by steam, as is shown inthe drawings accompanying this petition, the steam being taken from the boiler rand communicated to the extreme end from the engineer of the extra cylinder.

See Fig. 1: K is a steam cylinder boltedk on the inside to the frame of the engine. m is a steam pipe, onev inch diameter, which conveys the steam from the boiler into the cylinder K. f

S, (see Fig. 5) is a lever fastened to the The frame N, N,

and consequently the arms 0, 0, are moved up in the openings n, n.

In Fig. 5, t represents the piston rod of the steam cylinder K, fastened to the lever S. The steam is admitted into the cylinder K, behind the piston, and consequently forces the piston out, which carries with it the lever S, fastened to the square bar V which brings up the friction wheels g, g, sliding the bent arms, or rather pulling them out of the tube No. 10, until they are enabled to pass from under the rails, and asume a positio-n entirely out of the way, some 6 or 8 inches above the rail. 29 is a rod working a valve on cylinder K, by which lthe steam is admitted, or shut off. The wheels when thrown up should be held by a catch or spring, as may be done in several ways. In experimenting I have kept them up by the steam. This operation of raising the wheels, may be instantaneous, or as slow as you please, depending on the quantity of steam turned on the cylinder K.

Fig. 8, represents the bent arms z', 2', as strengthened by a brace or fork, the axles of the friction wheels passing through a journal in eachA fork L, L. Fig. 5, also shows the friction gear out of the way.

To supply at all times the adhesion required or to make the engine at all times work up to its steam capacity is so manifestly a great desideratum that it is not deemed necessary to state its advantages.

By an inspection of the drawings here furnished it will be seen that adhesion is produced by pressure, at the will of the engineer by means of the lever A, who produces as much as he wants, and no more, not a pound more than he wants, throwing it olf instantly when not required, summoning it again to his aid the moment the wheels manifest a disposition to slip. Whenever the natural adhesion of the engine is sufficient, it works as a co-mmon engine, the friction rollers being thrown up out of the way. In starting where more friction is required, or in ascending grades, the engineer produces the required adhesion. Adhesion being equivalent to weight, it is a great feature in this invention, that it is supplied only when required, and that it is certain, as much so as the generation of steam.

The facility with which the friction rollers are raised up out of the way, renders all crossings on this plan as easy as with a common railway; the ordinary cars and engine can run readily over my road without any alteration whatever, and the attachment for producing adhesion may be added to any common engine for a few hundred dollars. To produce the mechanical adhesion, the road must be constructed on my plan. This may if preferred be only on high grades, but as my plan admits of the use of lighter machinery, and much greater safety than the present plan; requires shorter cross ties; if introduced even on the grades, economy will compel the entire building of the road on my plan. The attachment for producing adhesion is so simple, it may be taken off, or replaced by a single person in a few moments. The rollers, should necessity require it, can be replaced by a new pair at once. I have used a single pair for three months, which as yet show no more wear than the driving wheels.

The objection which every casual observer will make, is that I gain no steam power, while I cause resistance to the progress of the engine ust in proportion to the mechanical pressure. Admit it-the engine must o-n my plan always work up to its steam capacity, and if I apply 5 tons of pressure to obtain a given quantity of adhesion, to do the Same thing an engine on the present plan must take up 5 tons of weight. I save the weight o-f the mass, and besides I use my adhesion only when required, dispensing with it the moment I do not want it. IVhile the weight once added is carried over the level portions of the road, where it is not really required, that it may be present at the grades. Again the quantity of adhesion necessary, or the resistance in consequence of the mechanical pressure, cannot in theory, with any sort of accuracy, be estimated, and he who founds his opinion on any supposed dat-a will be mistaken.

A series of experiments made years ago, when first engaged in examining this subject, satisfied me that the received doctrine of books, that friction is in proportion to weight or pressure, and not surface, is true, if anywhere, only in theory, and not practice` My rail, wit-h a surface of 6 inches, has a great deal more adhesion than a rail of 3 inches. How much more I cannot say. That is, that a common engine, with driving wheels, the tread of which covers entirely the surface of the 6 inch rail, will draw a load over it, which the same engine on a narrow rail, say with a surface of 2%- inches, cannot start. This principle for a long time surprised me, as it required so little exertion with the lever to produce the requisite adhesion, and induced me in my various experiments to work the lever by hand, in place of steam power. The necessary adoption of the wide rail forced on me the above discovery. And my plan requiring so much less pressure than I at first expected, I have used only one pair of driving wheels since my first experiment, in which I used two; and now deem one pair sufhcient for any or dinary train. The cylinder now used for throwing the friction gear up out of the way may also as will readily be seen by any mechanic, be made to produce the mechanical adhesion, graduated by the pressure of the steam.

larged, and driven separately.v But with large cross ties, cut olf flush with the string piece, a suflicient elevation may be had, and

i the large timbers give .great solidity and strength to the road, and the string pieces being notched in on my plan, it is impossible for the road to- Widen. The plan of my road admits of new brakes Which are in my opinl ion perfectly effective, plans of Which 'I have.

It has been seen the friction gear may be readily lifted out of the Way at crossings; but besides this, in passing over grades in a town Where the elevation of the road Would be objectionable, I propose usi-ng a covered trench on each side for the friction Wheels,

there being an opening for the arms which hold the friction Wheels to pass along; this by flattening the arms at that point would not require a greater opening than two inches and With this arrangement the road may be made level With the surface, and still the principle of adhesion preserved.

The driving Wheels which I have used, and which are sketched in the drawings, are solid and concave, and the arms holding the friction gear conform to the shape of the Wheels. I selected this form for strength; a pair perfectly straight Would answer as Well.

I do not claim the placing of a third rail in the center of the track against the sides of which Wheels are made to press or grip for the purpose of enabling a locomotive to ascend inclined planes, but

lVhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The rail constructed with the projecting flange, forming a clear space for friction Wheels to revolve as` described; in combination with the frictionwheels g, g, arranged, and operating in manner substantially as set forth, givingito the engineer the power of increasing the adhesion of the engine at his pleasure, and thereby insuring it will at all times Work up to its steam capacity.

'JAMES s. FRENCH.

Witnesses WM. W. TURNER, G. M. RAMsAY. 

